POLICE SERGEANT CHOSEN FOR COURSE IN DRUG WORK

KENDRA MEYERS; Courant CorrespondentTHE HARTFORD COURANT

Although there are no drug markets in small towns such as East Hampton, the presence of large-scale dealers, or "people with money," is more prevalent in small communities, police Sgt. Garritt Kelly said.

That's why Kelly has been chosen as one of 50 people nationwide to participate this month in a two-week pilot training course in narcotics investigation for small communities.

"You have to do your homework," said Kelly, 29, who has worked with the East Hampton police force for seven years. "That's a big part of narcotics investigation -- to know as much as you can so you don't get the wool pulled over your eyes."

Kelly said he tries not to be surprised when confronted with problems in the community. Rather, he said, he tries to roll with situations as they arise.

"You can't say you're not going to find heroin in East Hampton or cocaine in East Hampton, because it's there," he said. "But you have to learn what goes on behind closed doors."

Kelly said the ability to recognize and identify the narcotics dealers is the most important skill he can teach his fellow officers.

Kelly will attend a program called Small Town And Rural Drug Enforcement Training, or STAR, at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Georgia.

STAR teaches officers skills for dealing with problemsin rural settings, including drug identification, evidence handling, and clandestine operations, said Frank Meyers, an official at the National Center for State and Local Law Enforcement Training.

"We felt there was a need for this type of training," Meyers said. "At 90 percent of all law enforcement agencies in the country, there are fewer than 50 officers, and they are unable to obtain this type of training."

Kelly will be one of 25 officers east of the Mississippi to attend the program. A second program in Artesia, Mexico, will train 25 officers from western states in August.

Part of Kelly's obligation after completing the course in Georgia is to teach other officers and personnel in narcotics investigations at the Municipal Police Training Academy.

In 1990, Kelly served 14 months with the statewide narcotics task force. His work on the task force prompted his recommendation for the training program in Georgia. Kelly said he enjoys undercover work because of the challenges it presents.

"It's a matter of it being a rewarding area of police work with a lot of responsibility attached to it," Kelly said. "It's one of the more demanding areas. You're constantly on the go."

After serving on the task force, Kelly said he has been better able to teach officers in his unit about laws regarding search and seizures as well as how to apply for search warrants.

"A lot of times, just being an officer on the street, you don't get exposed to those decisions," Kelly said. "Without recent expertise and experience, it could result in a problem."

The National Center for State and Local Law Enforcement Training is funded under the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Bureau of Alchohol, Tobacco and Firearms / Law Enforcement. The center was established in 1982 at Glynco, a former naval air station in southeast Georgia. Glynco is the training site for 71 different federal agencies including the border patrol and the bureau of prisons.